Turmeric is a flowering plant, Curcuma longa of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the roots of which are used in cooking. History The use of turmeric dates back nearly 4000 years to the Vedic culture in India, where it was used as a culinary spice and had some religious significance. It probably reached China by 700 ad, East Africa by 800 ad, West Africa by 1200 ad, and Jamaica in the eighteenth century Turmeric has been used in Asia for thousands of years and is a major part of Ayurveda , Siddha medicine , traditional Chinese medicine , Unani , and the animistic rituals of Austronesian peoples . It was first used as a dye , and then later for its supposed properties in folk medicine . Traditional uses Turmeric grows wild in the forests of South and Southeast Asia, where it is collected for use in classical Indian medicine (Siddha or Ayurveda). Turmeric is one such herb. Turmeric is used as an herbal medicine for rheumatoid arthritis, chronic anterior uveitis, co